novelraw Chapter 085 That Name is Forbidden
Chapter 085 That Name is Forbidden
Time is a silent sculptor.
Spring passes and autumn comes, cold comes and summer comes.
The ginkgo trees at University A turn yellow and then green again, then green and then yellow again.
Three whole years have passed in a flash, amidst countless changes in lines of code and the ups and downs of the capital market.
The legends surrounding the Computer Science Department at University A have changed time and again.
But the most legendary name remains high on the altar, unmatched by anyone.
Limitless Technology.
In just three years, it has transformed from a small workshop crammed into a startup incubator and filled with the smell of instant noodles.
It became a behemoth that devoured the market.
The headquarters moved into the most expensive office building in City A's CBD—the Global Financial Center.
It occupies the entire top five floors.
Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can overlook the bustling city and feel all the prosperity beneath your feet.
……
Friday night.
A celebration banquet is being held at a private club.
This was to celebrate the successful development of Limitless's AI chip, breaking through foreign technological blockades.
Inside the private room, glasses clinked and toasts were exchanged.
Besides the company's core executives, there are also many business partners who want to build relationships with them.
"Come on, let me toast President Jiang!"
A technical director who had recently joined the company and graduated from a prestigious university stood up.
He was young and impetuous, and after having a few drinks, he spoke somewhat incoherently.
"I had heard of General Jiang's legend when I was still studying at University A."
The CTO held up his wine glass, his face full of admiration.
"I heard that back in the day, President Jiang was a prominent figure at the university. Not only was he technically brilliant, but he was also known for his deep affection."
"I heard from a senior that there was a beauty queen in the art department back then..."
"Smack."
A soft sound.
It wasn't the sound of a cup being smashed.
It was the sound of chopsticks being gently placed on a porcelain plate.
But the sound was like a pause.
It instantly cut off all the noise in the private room.
Zhang Annian, who had been chatting and laughing, suddenly turned pale.
Jia Pengxiu, who was gnawing on a chicken leg, almost choked on the bone and desperately tried to wink at the newcomer.
Even the usually composed Su Qing froze in mid-air, her hand holding the wine glass still.
The entire private room was deathly silent.
The newcomer was stunned.
Holding a wine glass, he was at a loss.
"Wha...what's wrong?"
In the main seat.
Jiang Ci sat in the shadows.
Three years.
The boy who used to blush at a single word from his girlfriend and feel guilty for not having time for her has completely disappeared.
This is him now.
He wore a meticulously tailored handmade suit, and his tie was tied with utmost care.
Her hair was combed back, revealing her sharp brow bone.
Those eyes were deep and dark, like a stagnant pool of water devoid of any temperature.
He slowly raised his eyelids.
My gaze fell on the newcomer's face.
There was no anger.
He did not lose his composure.
There is only one kind of indifference that chills you to the bone.
"Arts department?"
He repeated those three words.
The sound was very soft and steady.
But it made everyone present feel as if a knife was held to their throats.
"Zhang Annian".
Jiang Ci didn't look at the newcomer, but instead called out to the person next to him.
"Yes, yes!"
Zhang Annian immediately stood up, cold sweat pouring down his face.
"Doesn't the HR department conduct background checks when hiring?"
Jiang Ci twirled the glass in his hand.
The ice cubes in the glass collided, making a crisp sound.
"Talkative people are not suited for technical work."
"Let him go."
Three words.
It sealed the fate of his career.
The newcomer was completely dumbfounded.
"President Jiang! I... what did I say wrong? I just mentioned it..."
"Shut up!"
Zhang Annian rushed over, covered the newcomer's mouth, and dragged him out of the private room.
"Oh, ancestors! If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!"
The door to the private room was closed.
The atmosphere inside remained oppressively suffocating.
Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
In Limitless, there is an unwritten, and most deadly, taboo.
That is--
Never, ever mention "University A," never mention "girlfriend," and especially never mention those two words—
Wen Ning.
That's Jiang's Achilles' heel.
It will kill you if you touch it.
Jiang Ci did not show any emotional fluctuations after driving someone away.
He picked up the wine glass in front of him.
Look up.
The strong, spicy liquor burned my stomach as it went down my throat.
But he got used to it.
Only this kind of pain can make him feel that he is still alive.
"Let's call it a day."
He put down his wine glass and stood up.
He picked up his coat from the back of the chair, turned around, and left.
His back view was solitary and cold.
……
Half an hour later.
The black Maybach drove into that familiar old neighborhood.
these years.
Jiang Ci bought many properties in City A.
There are villas on the hillside and large apartments with river views.
Every corner was decorated with unparalleled luxury, yet every corner was deserted and desolate.
But he never stayed there.
As long as I'm in City A, and not on a business trip.
No matter how late it is, no matter how much alcohol I've drunk.
He would always have his driver bring the car here.
This is an old apartment building called "Jinxiuyuan" next to University A.
"President Jiang, we've arrived."
The driver parked the car and cautiously gave a reminder.
Jiang Ci opened his eyes.
The drunkenness in his eyes vanished instantly.
He got out of the car.
I skillfully stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the 28th floor.
"drop--"
The fingerprint lock is open.
Push open the door.
He was greeted by a room full of darkness and deathly silence.
Everything here.
Everything remains exactly as it was when she left three years ago.
On the entryway cabinet, there was the key she had left behind.
There was even a thin layer of dust on it.
Jiang Ci forbade the cleaning lady from touching anything here; he did all the cleaning himself.
But he didn't touch the key.
It's as if as long as it's still there, it's like the owner just left and will come back to get it at any time.
In the living room.
The carpet was still that off-white wool carpet.
Although it was old and somewhat collapsed, he didn't replace it.
Because she once walked barefoot on it and said it felt like walking on clouds.
on the coffee table.
The couple's mugs were still in their original place.
The water inside had long since dried up, leaving a ring of brown tea stains.
Jiang Ci did not turn on the lights.
He went up to the second floor by the moonlight.
in the corner.
The easel is still standing there.
The top is empty.
He locked the painting "Reliance" in a safe, took it to the company, and placed it in the place closest to him.
Only by looking at that painting, and at that "I'm sorry," could he use hatred to sustain him to continue working.
And next to the easel.
That once lush and green Monstera deliciosa.
He died long ago.
The withered, yellow leaves drooped down, dry and curled.
It looked like a dried-up corpse.
Jiang Ci did not throw it away.
They didn't replace it with a new one.
He just left it there, dead.
Just like his and her love.
It has withered.
died.
Yet it still occupies that corner and cannot be moved.
Jiang Ci walked to the bedside.
I didn't lie down on it.
Instead, she sat on the carpet, leaning against the edge of the bed.
He pulled a cigarette case out of his pocket.
He took out a cigarette and lit it.
The crimson flame flickered in the darkness.
He looked up.
He exhaled a puff of bluish-white smoke.
Amidst the swirling smoke, he gazed at a point in the void.
Three years.
That heartless woman never came back even once.
She never even dreamt of him.
"Wen Ning..."
He silently repeated the name in his heart.
Each time I recite it, it feels like my heart is being slowly tortured.
"You win."
"You really...make me hate you."
but.
Why do I still think about you?
Even though I hate you to the core, why do I still only want to return to this cage where your shadow is, to lick my wounds like a dog?
Jiang Ci closed his eyes.
He let the darkness engulf him.
This is his home.
It is also his grave.